WASHINGTON (AP) — Urging their Republican colleagues to come together and approve a conservative spending plan, allies of Speaker Kevin McCarthy are working diligently to regain control of a House in turmoil. They are calling on the GOP holdouts to abandon their hardline tactics and support McCarthy’s latest plan to prevent a federal shutdown before the September 30 deadline.
Republican Rep. Garrett Graves of Louisiana, following a conference call with lawmakers, emphasized the need to avoid a government shutdown. However, one of the conservative holdouts, Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana, remained firm in his position, disregarding concerns about a potential shutdown.
President Joe Biden criticized the “small group of extreme Republicans” who are threatening a shutdown that would have wide-ranging consequences. He urged Republicans to fulfill their duty to fund the government and emphasized the impact of a shutdown on various aspects of American life.
Congress is running out of time to act, but McCarthy is moving forward with a plan supported by his right flank. The plan involves voting on some of the bills required to fund government departments, followed by a stopgap measure to keep the government open while work continues.
McCarthy appealed to the holdouts, urging them to reconsider their stance. The main issue is the House conservatives’ desire to overturn the funding levels negotiated by McCarthy and Biden earlier this year. Their insistence on lower spending levels would result in significant budget cuts that even other Republicans are reluctant to make.
Even if McCarthy manages to secure Republican support for the first four bills, the process will be complex and time-consuming. Typically, it takes weeks or months to process such bills and hundreds of amendments. The approved House bills would then need to be negotiated with the Senate, which has its own legislation.
Another issue for debate is the funding for the war in Ukraine. Allies of Donald Trump, the Republican frontrunner for the 2024 presidential race, are pushing for amendments to strip this funding.
In the event that floor debate extends into next week, McCarthy and his allies want the holdouts to consider a stopgap measure known as a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government while negotiations continue. McCarthy’s plan is for the CR to have lower funding levels than the current government spending and include provisions important to Republicans, such as enhanced border security and a new debt commission. However, many holdouts, including Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, a staunch Trump ally, have declared that they will never vote for a CR, making a shutdown likely.
McCarthy’s allies took the opportunity to make their case to their colleagues and the American people, highlighting the impossibility of completing all 12 appropriations bills before the deadline. They emphasized the need for everyone to work towards a solution.
Alternatively, McCarthy could work with Democrats to pass a bipartisan continuing resolution with their votes. The Senate is preparing such a measure, which could be sent to the House in a matter of days. However, McCarthy risks facing a vote of no confidence from Gaetz and others if he aligns himself with Democrats.
Associated Press writer Aamer Madhani contributed to this report.
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